Universal halts 'Fast & Furious 7' production to assess options

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Universal Pictures has shut down production of action sequel "Fast & Furious 7" to consider its options for the franchise following the death of actor Paul Walker, the studio said on Wednesday.

"At this time we feel it is our responsibility to shut down production on 'Fast & Furious 7' for a period of time so we can assess all options available to move forward with the franchise," Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp, said in a statement.